Monday, June 25, 2012

Black, fire-ravaged mountains blight the skyline south of our Utah home, owing to a careless, man-made brush fire that extends over 5,000 acres this past week. Mr. Myrt and I were under a forced evacuation order, taking shelter with one of my daughters in the next county.

Mr. Myrt packed everything of value -- family photos, two circa 1850s bibles, and other items in the Ford F150. He remembered medication, computers, iPads and such with his usual efficiency, all whilst I was herding seven busy grandchildren some 3 hours to the north. Once outside the police barricade, Gordon took this pic. Our home is just out of range to the right in his picture below.

Winds carried the smoke and soot at least as Sue Maxwell's house some 35 miles to the north.

Advice on our return to the home yesterday was "don't unpack or settle
in" but await further announcements. Anxious eyes check and recheck those mountains, awaiting the day the fire is completely contained. From time to time a "hot spot"
breaks forth sending forth billows of smoke to be carried by our higher than
normal winds directly into our homes and businesses.

Today things started out quieter, but this afternoon the wind has picked up considerably and smoke is once again beginning to show up about two ridges south of us. Air quality in our homes is less than desirable, but we're managing.

I cannot tell you how timely our "week of genealogy scanning" has become. Carrie joins me late tonight so we will have a fresh start in the morning. She and the kids will stay a week, as we plow through the notebooks using three scanners and a digital camera. Wish I could just ship everything off to Ancestry.com across the lake. (sigh)

Don't wait for the next man-made or natural disaster in your area to decide to get those photos and documents scanned. Do it now! Ol' Myrt here got a reprieve, but some folks haven't been as fortunate.